Ern HEITMANN was born Frederick Ernest HEITMANN in 1895 at Eaglehawk, Bendigo. His father, Frederick, was born in 1871 at California Gully, Bendigo; his grandfather Herman was born in Hanover, Germany in 1842, but came to Australia in 1863, where he married an Australian girl of Irish descent.

Yet in 1917, at a Labor strike meeting in Bendigo, Ern’s father, Frederick, found it necessary to explain to the gathering that he wasn’t a German. A Labor speaker had actually referred to his brother Edward, as one of the three German members of parliament, and Frederick reasoned that in doing so, he was also implying that he Frederick was a German. He insisted on setting the record straight, and after stating that he was born in Bendigo (as were all his siblings), “He claimed to be as good a Britisher as any of them.”

Sadly however, the authorities, and therefore the Australian public, saw it differently. Initially it was only those of German birth, whether naturalized or not, that were regarded as enemy subjects. But “by 1916 the definition of ‘enemy subject’ was further enlarged to include any Australian natural-born subject whose father or grandfather was a subject of a country at war with the King.”

Ern’s uncle, Edward Ernest Heitmann, MHR, gave his son Reginald, age 18, permission to enlist in February 1918, and then in the April, at the age of 40, Edward also enlisted.

Ern had enlisted back in the June of 1915, also with his parents consent, aged 19 years and 10 months. So it was, that 3 ‘enemy subjects’ from the Heitmann family enlisted to fight for the Empire. (Of course, they were only 3 of many)

Sometime before 1910, Ern’s family had moved to Memsie, a small farming community between the towns of Bridgewater & Newbridge, north of Bendigo. It was with a neighbouring farmer, John Nesbit, that Ern sailed to war in March 1916, with the 15th Reinforcements of the 7th Battalion. ‘Harvest leave’ was the reason for their delayed sailing, and their saviour from the tragedy of Gallipoli. Stopping over in Egypt, where they were taken on strength with the 57th Battalion, they finally arrived in France in June 1916.

Both survived the next tragedy of Fromelles, but John was wounded a month later in a bombing raid on the German trenches east of Sugar Loaf, and eventually invalided home in the February of 1917.

At the time of John’s return to Australia, Ern was attending a Signaling School, and on the 8th & 9th August 1918, along with Pte Robert Wilson, he proved his worth as a signaler during the Battle of Amiens.

Commendation for Military Medal:

“During the advance East of VILLERS BRETONNEUX on 8th August 1918, these two signalers displayed conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. On the 8th August a telephone line was laid to connect the final objective with rear Battalion Station. This line was of the utmost importance to Brigade and was frequently cut by hostile shelling. The enemy kept up a constant bombardment of the captured area and swept the forward area with machine gun fire. These two men repeatedly went out under this fire and effected repairs to the line. Again on the morning of 9th August they several times repeated the performance and restored communication at a very critical period when a new advance had commenced and the news was of great value. Their disregard of personal danger and devotion to duty merit recognition.”

It’s interesting to note that Ern was awarded the Military Medal, for his part played during the day that Ludendorff considered was 'the black day of the German Army'. On the 11th August 1918, Ern wrote a letter to his family telling them of this action, but as was often the case with the diggers, modesty prevailed, and his own bravery didn’t rate a mention.

"We had a hot meal at 1a.m. on the morning of the 8th August, then moved towards the line. At 2a.m., skirting Villiers-Bretonneux on our way, we were fortunate as we moved in, as the night was very quiet, with just the right amount of mist, which concealed any movement that might have otherwise been seen. We arrived in position at about 3.40a.m., and found ourselves among field guns and tanks, which were very nearly on the front line. Soon after arriving there Fritz put a barrage down, which made us feel very uncomfortable while it lasted. At the appointed time our barrage started, and it was the best music I had heard for a long time, and it effectively silenced Fritz's artillery, which could only manage to retaliate very feebly. An hour after the barrage lifted we moved out, and as the fog and smoke from the shells was very thick, so thick that it was impossible to see more than a few feet, we found it very difficult to keep the proper direction. However we managed to arrive at Fritz's main trench, and the fog lifting, we began to observe the stunt, which was going with great success. Up to this time I had seen no death on either side, and only two of our boys wounded.

After a good spell there we continued again and soon passed over a couple of batteries of German guns, which had been silenced by the assaulting division that was still in front of us. A little before this the tanks had gone past us, going great guns, and we greatly admired them. Just about this time Fritz's guns made the going rather dashing, it being a case of duck and run. However I am pleased to say he was not very successful, though he did get the mud up on us a bit. Soon afterwards we pushed through the division in front, and were in the front line, with a few big guns of Fritz's firing point blank at us. However, very quickly they were rushed and the gun crews taken prisoner. Just then the sun being properly out, we got a grand view of the people on our right going magnificently, just as if on parade. From then onwards the going was good, with hardly a shell to disturb us.

At 9.45 we were still advancing, and the first of our artillery were fast catching us up, accompanied by a lot of cavalry in column. Getting abreast of us they got out into skirmishing order, and they were received with many cheers from the boys. That was one of the best sights of the day. About this time an aeroplane came down owing to engine troubles, and the pilot, an Englishman, was rather disgusted, as he was enjoying the stunt so much. He told us as he went by that the Germans were running like rabbits. At 10.30 we were abreast of another village, where one of our N.C.O.'s took 30 German prisoners, singlehanded, rather a good haul, but as he says, it was not such a difficult one as they came out with watches, etc. in their hands. Just at this time the horsemen were well ahead of us and we could see trains moving in the distance. Later on we found that they were reinforcements that were being rushed up. They did no good, however, as the cavalry captured two of the trains complete. It being after 11a.m. this was very near the end of the day's advance, and the boys got busy and dug in. Now and again during the afternoon Fritz was rather lively with his shells, but he had excellent targets and proved that his shooting was poor as the cavalry were not cut up to any great extent.

The next day at an early hour the advance continued. Our brigade went a certain distance and then other Aussies leap-frogged us. Soon after that the roads were full of transports, guns, etc., and it was a grand sight. Late that night I got to sleep. Fritz was very busy bombing, but a long way off, so he did not disturb us. Next morning I was up fairly early and made coffee, so with plenty of rations we made a good meal. That day, the 10th, we marched back over the ground we had captured. ………….”

Ern’s cousin, Reginald had embarked from WA in May 1918, and joined the 28th Bn in France a month before armistice. Reginald’s father Edward embarked for England at the end of August 1918 and arrived in London three days after the armistice. The following month, the Prime Minister gave instructions that he was to be discharged in London, and to be appointed as a Civil Inspector of all vessels carrying troops, munitions etc. to Australia.

Along with his co-recipient of the military medal, Pte Wilson, Ern embarked on the Devanha in May 1919, arriving home the following month, his cousin Reginald returning a few months later.

In the July of 1919, a cablegram was sent to the acting Prime Minister from Senator Pearce in London, in regard to Edward Heitmann, stating: “He is doing most valuable work as inspector of soldiers’ accommodation on transports and as he is working in civilian capacity gives soldiers an assurance that their comfort will be attended to. I feel it essential he should remain for another month, though he is anxious to return.” Edward finally sailed on the 6th September. He was defeated in the federal election in December 1919, and eventually returned to farming.

Although as noted earlier, Ern’s father Frederick had felt it necessary to defend his Australian-ness, while many others with German background had been badly treated around the country, he was actually well respected in the Bridgewater district. And as a successful farmer, he felt it necessary to lead the way in bringing it to the attention of the Repatriation Board, that one of their schemes to split a piece of land in the district between 2 returned soldiers, which was hardly big enough to support one, was unworkable. After presenting his case for this he went on to say “and while I would like to see 100 soldiers settled in the district, I want every one who comes to have a sporting chance of making a living. It is little enough we can do for the boys who have faced hell on earth on our behalf, and we should not close our eyes to the fact that the Repatriation people, in dividing the course (racecourse land) between two soldiers, are condemning both to a life of misery. They deserve something better. In conclusion, I ask every one who takes an interest in our returned boys to enter a protest against the proposal.” The protests were successful and the land eventually went to one man only.

Ern also settled back on the land at Memsie. In 1920, one of his Bridgewater mates, Bob Pollard, who’d also served with him in the 57th Bn, having given up his role as a brother-in-arms, instead became a brother-in-law when he married one of Ern’s sisters. Ern finally tied the knot himself in 1927, and he and his wife Vera had two children, a son & a daughter.

At the age of 47, Ern felt the need to defend his homeland once more, so in 1942 he enlisted in the 2nd world war, and served for a year and a half in the 15th Bn of the Volunteer Defence Corps.

Living to a ripe old age, Ern died at Newbridge in 1985, 3 months shy of his 90th Birthday. His wife joined him 3 years later, and they are buried together in the Bridgewater Cemetery.

Between them, these Heitmann men, having refused to allow the bigotry of a frightened Nation to grind them down, probably did more for their country than some of British descent.

Heather (Frev) Ford, 2007